This psalm has 28 verses that can be divided into 9 sections.  It is a poem about the difficult side of faithful service to Jehovah—that element of godly living which leads to the plots, lies, persecution, and deceitfulness of the enemies of the way of truth.
David did not identify any specific source of all of these troubles, so it is safe for us to apply it to any such difficulties that we face in the service of God today.

While you read this psalm, think not only of your own trials—also think about how the circumstances and principles of Psalm 35 relate to the stories of such people as Job, David, Jesus, Paul, and the suffering saints in the book of Revelation.

Let us now study these nine sections from the view point of a faithful, but persecuted, child of God.

I.  MY NEED:  A GO-BETWEEN (vv. 1-3)
“I need someone to stand up for me.”  As the psalm progresses, David’s list of troubles and troublers is so great that this initial statement becomes very fitting.  His life of dedication to Jehovah has brought the evil treatment of many enemies upon him.  He needs someone to do the following: “plead, fight, take up, stand up, draw out, stop, and say.”  He has the utmost confidence that the Lord is the One who can do this, and he does not call on anyone else!  (See a similar plea by Job in Job 19:23-29.)

II.  MY PROBLEM: HURTFUL PLOTTERS (vv. 4-8).
Those who plot against the faithful do so from many approaches, motives, and methods.  They do so over long periods of time.  And since their plots cannot be successful unless we give in—THEY KEEP TRYING (unless they repent or die)!  David appropriately desires that they—
be put to shame and brought to dishonor
be turned back and brought to confusion
be like chaff, chased by the angel of the Lord
have a dark way, pursued by the angel of the   Lord
have unexpected destruction
be caught in their own nets.

Some say that we should not speak this way about the enemies of God and His people.  The truth is, that if they do not change, it is very fitting to desire that they be overcome so that they and their obstacles are not in the way of the truth any more.  It is not wrong for us to ask God to use His vengeance against sin and sinners.  This psalm proves it.
III.  MY HOPE: MY JOY (vv. 9,10).
I do not think that David was saying that he would not have joy until his enemies were reaping as they had sown.  In the New Testament, we are regularly told that joy is possible during trials as well as after them (see Philippians and 1 Peter).  On the other hand, there is no doubt that there is a special kind of joy that is ours after the “troublesome times are o’er.”  Peter speaks of it as “unspeakable” and “full of glory” (1 Peter 1:7-9).

Let us be thankful that He is able to deliver us, fulfilling our hope and completing our joy.  Note also that David refers to those who are being delivered as “poor” and “needy.”  I must ask myself if I am humble enough to approach the source of my joy as one who is poor and needy.  Am I?

IV.  MY RECORD: HUMBLE FAITHFULNESS (vv. 11-14).
It is not an easy thing for the humble servant of God to appeal to his or her record of faithfulness in order to be vindicated.  But David (and all other faithful Bible people) helps us to learn the pattern for such an approach.  He even claims that his record of faithfulness includes a consistent fairness toward those who were so evil in their treatment of him.  When they had been sick, he had been sorrowful, prayerful, and had even “paced the floor” on their behalf!  He had bowed over for them in his sorrow over their problems.  In light of this, he was right to call on God as a go-between.  And so are we.

V.  MY ATTACKERS:  UNGODLY MOCKERS (vv. 15,16).
These verses are all the more sad and serious in view of the previous section.  No doubt “they” knew of his actions toward them.  But their determination against him was so strong that his righteousness only “fueled the fire” of their hatred.  They rejoiced in his “adversity” (some of which they were causing).  They did what they did to him collectively—as a group they gathered, attacked, tore at him, kept on, gnashed, and enjoyed.

VI.  MY PLEA:  RESCUE (vv. 17,18).
The “How long?” of righteous, persecuted souls echoes through history from one generation to the next.  As it regards those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (Matthew 5:10-12), the answer is that in God’s providence, the end of trials will certainly come.  It does not always come in the same time or in the same way (Note, for example the different lengths and persecutions that were suffered by early Christians in Acts and the Epistles).  

David regards his life as “precious”; therefore his question needs an answer.  For Stephen, the answer came in one way; for Paul, in another; and so on.

David also wants it known that he is not going to be absent from “the assembly” when it is time to give thanks and praise to God.  While we are suffering, and while we are waiting for answers; let us continue to be thankful and full of His praises.

VII.  MY REPROACH: WITHOUT A CAUSE (vv. 19-21).
The person who acknowledges “I have never been fair with you” (while also admitting that you have never been unfair with him) may continue treating you wrongfully!  David is right in hoping that their reproachful ways toward him will not give them any joy at all.  If they “hate me without a cause,” they do not deserve to be happy! They can “wink,” “speak,” “devise,” and “open their mouths wide”—but they cannot gain real happiness on such a path.  Even their claim that “Our eyes have seen it” proves nothing.  Since their motives are sinful, their “testimony” is useless.  It should not be believed!

VIII.  MY CAUSE: YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (vv. 22-26).
He has upheld God’s righteousness—now he needs for God’s righteousness to uphold him.  In verse 1, he spoke of “my cause” (in italics).  In verse 23, he is linking “my cause” with the fact that he believes that God will support it.  He now wants God’s word, closeness, vindication, and judgment against “them.”
If the standard for judgment(s) is God’s righteousness (and it is the standard), then it should not be difficult to know how things are going to turn out at the last day!  Note John 12:48-50:

"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My  words, has that which judges him-- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  
"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
"And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."
(see also Matthew 24:36-25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).

Those who have worked together against the righteous (“mutually,” v. 26), will be mutually ashamed when God balances all of His accounts.  Their clothing will be shame and dishonor —they have not been humble and faithful...

IX.  MY MESSAGE: I WILL MAGNIFY THE LORD (vv. 27,28).
Now we are informed that David knew he was not alone in serving the Lord.  He wanted all who believed in his “cause” to be joyful and glad.  He wanted it to lead to a continual magnifying of the Lord.  He wanted all to know how pleased God is in the “prosperity” (vindication!) of His servant.  He—as the one who had been answered—would speak of and give praise to God all the day long!

Let us always remember, and never forget, that God will take care of all of our needs and problems in His own way and in His own time.

Let us use Psalm 35 and similar passages regularly to help us resolve to be strong and faithful in all circumstances so that the Lord will be magnified in view of all the people who observe our lives.

Let us be thankful that such scriptures as this were written and preserved for our learning and admonition.
    — Skip Andrews

Next Week:  Psalm 36
“My trust is under the shadow of thy wings.”